The Colour of Blood
by Corcalamus
Summary: Draco Malfoy is sick of living. He wshes for death and looks for a way out. Will he find it or will something intervene? HD slash Please R


Title: The colour of Blood Rating: PG-13 (if that) Pairing: Sort of Slashy. not quite, Any Sequel would be though Warnings: Murder, mentions of suicide, hints at rape.a quote from that Scottish play lol Author: Dragonsbane that's ME!! For: Rowenna: literally she asked me to write something this is what she got! Summary: But a quote.:  
  
"Here's the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh!" Lady MacBeth, that Scottish Play; Act Five: Scene One.  
  
~**~**~**~**~  
  
The funny thing about blood is that no matter how much you scrub your hands after getting the stuff on you, it just doesn't wash off. Even when it comes off physically its always there, metaphorically at least.  
  
This was true even for the pale haired boy in his early years at school. He felt that the Chamber of Secrets was partly his fault. He knew his father had been behind it somehow and yet he never said a word.  
  
Never breathed a word of it to anyone that could have helped.  
  
Then, in fourth year and the comments he made about Cedric Diggory. Never did he let on that he knew exactly what happened as his father had shown him, through use of a spell.  
  
Fifth year for the boy was certainly different, as he had a Dark Mark upon his arm. He had killed three muggles during the holiday and had managed to kill an auror that had backed him into an alleyway.  
  
The auror had been Simon McGonagall, Minerva McGonagall's oldest son.  
  
Draco Malfoy had killed 3 muggles with the killing curse and not so much as batted an eyelid. Simon was different; Simon had been killed when he tried to arrest Draco.  
  
Amazing what you can do with a penknife.  
  
Draco severed an artery in the mans throat covering the ground, his robes and the walls with his blood. Draco's fine blonde locks were splattered also, as he apparated away from the scene.  
  
Now sixth year was coming up, Draco dreaded it.  
  
He hadn't killed anyone since the auror; he also didn't attend Death Eater meetings. He attended one once, and was told to stay after the rest had left. Voldemort was pleased with his progress in his ranks. very pleased.  
  
Draco had tried his best to block out that night's events when he was alone with the Dark Lord, but there was only so much you could block.  
  
He stood in Malfoy Manor washing his hands.he realized this was becoming a problem; he was washing his hands whenever he could. He could feel the blood of the auror still there, tainting him, polluting him.  
  
About a week earlier he had a knife in his hands and he so wanted to just end it all, destroy himself.  
  
He couldn't bring himself to do it, as, when it came down to it, he was a coward.  
  
There was a distinct reason why Slytherins were cunning and ambitious. Cunning meant that they could stay out of the spotlight and so didn't have to be brave in the slightest, which suited most of them just fine.  
  
So, Draco was left with no way out.or so he thought.  
  
On the 20th of July the summer before his sixth year, Lord Voldemort arrived at Malfoy Manor.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Draco exited his en-suite bathroom having just cleaned his hands for the millionth time. His usually pale hands were red with scrubbing and they were cracked and sore due to the constant washing.  
  
He was about to go to bed when Lucius walked into his son's room.  
  
"Father I can't, whatever it is wait until morning, I'm tired," he said, hiding his hands behind his back as he hadn't had time to cast the glamour charm over them.  
  
"Lord Voldemort wishes to see you, he is in the second floor study."  
  
Draco stood, surprised and nodded.  
  
Fear tightened round him, darkness stirred in the inner most depths of his soul. He prayed that the Lord was here on business and not recreation.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Draco entered the study that Lord Voldemort occupied, his father bowed and left the room. Voldemort stood in the window looking out across the lands of the Malfoy estate.  
  
"Do you know where Surrey is Draco?"  
  
"Yes my Lord, I do."  
  
"Good.tonight, Draco, you shall become a man, tonight you shall kill again for me one last time."  
  
"One last time sir?"  
  
Voldemort looked at him through narrowed eyes. "You stink of guilt, boy, so I know you won't be of much further use to me, a good spy perhaps, however as a killer, no. however, I shall reward you.  
  
Even though you loathed to kill someone, you still did it, you kept your loyalty to me. So, tonight you shall go to Surrey, find number Four Privet Drive and kill someone there for me."  
  
"Might I ask who sir?"  
  
"Harry Potter.As much as I would love to do it myself I can't, every time I get near him he gets out somehow. Understand?"  
  
"Yes sir, when shall I leave?"  
  
"Now, please, fetch your wand and robes. Then go."  
  
Draco nodded, not believing his luck.  
  
He was looking for an escape from life and suddenly it looked like he had found it.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Snores could be heard from the next room. Dudley really was too loud for his own good.  
  
Harry looked outside; Dumbledore had told him that the whole street Privet Drive had been placed under a spell to stop Voldemort getting through. This eased his mind slightly.  
  
His 'family' this year had been slightly less annoying to him and an actual family as Harry had saved their lives at the end of last year. Voldemort wanted them dead as it would stop their protection of Harry.  
  
Saving their lives and having been faced with true danger, they saw the true power of their young nephew in the hatred the powerful Lord had for Harry. They had started treating him as human, as their long awaited fear had come to pass, people had found out about Harry but ministry officials took statements and then wiped their memory clean.  
  
They realized then that there was no chance of someone finding out as they had feared for all those years.  
  
Petunia had had a wake up call that summer, she had always assumed the person that had killed her sister looked just human, normal and had a 'wand'. What she hadn't realized is that it was pure evil that had destroyed her sister and her family.  
  
Dudley was now more afraid of Harry than ever having seen his cousin kill a man with two words.  
  
Vernon, as much as he hated to admit it, held a respect for his nephew, having been living in these conditions all these years and yet still be so brave and strong willed to face up to that.  
  
It was two days later that Harry told them about all the times he had nearly died.  
  
The words were never spoken, the apologies for the mistreatment, for they didn't have to be.  
  
All that had to be said was said in the photo above the fireplace.  
  
A family photo with four, not three people.  
  
It still wasn't a proper family, but Harry was grateful he had been able to make peace with his only living relatives. He still resented the fact he had never had a proper childhood, not really. However, this was a new beginning.  
  
The clock stuck midnight, and Harry looked at his desk where a paper was waiting to be finished. An essay for Potions.  
  
Oh how he hated Potions.  
  
Through his first years of the subject he had thought it merely the teacher, but no, no no if it had been the teacher he would have enjoyed the subject last year as Severus Snape was away on spy business so often they had a substitute most of the year.  
  
Simply put, Potions was incredibly dull.  
  
Harry looked down again to the street and saw something.it couldn't be.could it? A Death Eater? Harry grabbed his wand from behind him as the Death Eater pointed to his window and the glass smashed.  
  
Harry jumped back.  
  
"Shit.safe my fucking eye, I should have known better."  
  
"Arcus Incendium!"  
  
An arrow of fire flew through the open window and hit the wall to the back of the room. "Finite Incartetam" Shouted Harry.  
  
The Death Eater went to the front door and hollered "ALOHAMORA" the door flew open and ran upstairs and faced Harry. They had their wands poised and the Dursleys looked out of their rooms to see what was happening.  
  
Before anything further happened Harry conjured a protection field to stop the curses hitting the Dursleys.  
  
"Well then Potter, you actually do care about the Muggle idiots you live with, FLAGRARE!" the ground around Harry erupted into flames and he jumped forwards and hollered "Pardalis Incendium!" A huge black fire panther erupted and flew at the Death Eater throwing back his hood as he fell backwards to dodge it.  
  
"MALFOY!? YOU BASTARD!"  
  
Draco smirked and then threw another curse at Harry who dodged it and threw one of his own. Harry pointed at Draco, and Harry noticed something amiss.Draco had hit him 3 times now with curses and a hex, why hadn't he used the killing curse?  
  
Harry used another spell, "Gryffindor Gladius" The Gryffindor blade appeared in his hand and he lunged at Draco who, used a similar spell and armed himself with a plain broad sword. They fought and Harry, who had fought Draco before in school, realized that Draco was holding back.  
  
Draco lunged and Harry saw an opportunity to kill him, but didn't take it. Something fishy was going on.  
  
When Draco looked at him, in his eyes Harry saw pain and confusion at the fact Harry had not taken the final blow. They fought and again, Draco left himself open to a killing blow.  
  
Again Harry didn't take it.  
  
"I know what you're after Malfoy and I'm not gonna do it!"  
  
"Damn you Potter!"  
  
"I won't do it."  
  
Draco again lunged so it looked like he was going to kill Harry, Harry made no move to defend himself, and like he thought, Draco missed.  
  
He collapsed to the ground.  
  
"You can't even kill me. please, just do it."  
  
The desperation in Draco's voice was almost too much to hear. He looked up at Harry "Please, Harry, I'm begging you." Harry lay his sword down; he sat in front of the shattered soul and placed a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"No, I won't kill you, but. let me help you?"  
  
Draco laughed bitterly and looked at Harry "Here's the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Four people.I killed three muggles no problem, didn't bat an eyelid, I thought it was because I was a heartless bastard, but no, it was because I used the killing curse, you can take the life without actually feeling their life drain, it just goes."  
  
Draco looked at his hands that were rough and red and sore from the washing, the constant washing.  
  
"An auror backed me into a corner and I slit his throat." He shuddered violently. "Blood, everywhere.the smell, the taste. stayed with me for weeks.stays with me even now. The killing curse keeps you detached from the murders.I'm a monster.why.why should I live?"  
  
Harry took one of the boy's hands and lifted his head. "No.no you are not a monster. Voldemort is a monster. Do you think he shed any tears over anyone he killed? Do you think he washes his hands to get rid of the blood? No, he doesn't. He doesn't care about anything but himself."  
  
Draco looked at Harry and shook his head. "That's where you are wrong. he rewards loyal servants. although he and I have different views on what a 'reward' is.this, this was mine, killing you."  
  
Another bitter laugh escaped his lips. "Before that was a night of his company.I was sixteen.sixteen and he." He looked down at himself, ashamed. Harry was appalled at what this man before him had endured.  
  
Harry stood up and dragged Draco up with him.  
  
"Draco, listen to me, look at me."  
  
Draco complied. "Look at these people." He said gesturing to the muggles "They hated and feared me for a long time, longer than you ever had. However, we have put that behind us, sort of, we are working towards it. You, and I, it was a petty school yard feud that was allowed to continue in school fuelled by house rivalry and by my friends' equal hatred of you."  
  
"You got that right," whispered Draco.  
  
"Yes.but. we were always the two in the middle." Harry put his hand forward, "I'm Harry."  
  
Harry watched the other boy for his reaction he looked at the hand that he was offered, he had every right to shoot Harry down in flames, but no, this was good, a new beginning.  
  
Harry smiled as Draco took his offered hand. "And I'm Draco. Nice to meet you."  
  
~Finis~  
  
Im not sure if I will continue this in any way. If you want please ask, you don't ask you don't get  
  
Dragonsbane 


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